distressed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of distressednext
1
as in troubled

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in depressed

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

distressed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of distress
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy don't let all the bad news distress you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distressed
Adjective
Someone can arrive feeling brilliant and hours later become overwhelmed, separated from friends, distressed, intoxicated or simply need somewhere quiet. — Sunita Dhaliwal, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026 The former first daughter refreshed several Y2K trends with distressed Daisy Dukes and divisive sandals. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
Jeffrey Tam, a lawyer for nine residents of the Wang Fuk Court, noted some residents decided to give evidence despite being distressed by the tragedy. — ABC News, 17 July 2026 The judges looked on in horror, with Mel B visibly distressed over the fate of her keepsake. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for distressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressed
  1. troubled
  2. depressed
  3. alarmed
  4. agitated
  5. reduced
  6. disturbed
  7. ruined
  8. distracted
Adjective
  • This project, classical in form, presents a sweeping vision of how the past has led to the present, an epic for this troubled age, a dispatch from a roiling Europe that nonetheless reflects back the difficult beauty of human existence.
    — Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Which is what troubled regulators even more about this particular outbreak.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of troubled
Adjective
  • Many, like me, will become depressed for the rest of our lives.
    — Marie Lisette Rimer, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • His leading role as depressed outcast Pierre earned him his first of two Tony Award nominations for best actor in a musical.
    — Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of depressed
Verb
  • In previous orders, Kiir has alarmed observers by dismissing important officials.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • But fans were alarmed by Love’s gaunt appearance and diminished singing voice.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • Migratory birds in captivity develop Zugunruhe, an agitated fitfulness, at certain times of year.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Following instructions from the kidnappers (unbeknownst to his increasingly agitated comrades), Lee drives out to meet them for the exchange, only to wreck his car and become distracted saving a nearby woman, Hua (Moon Lee).
    — Jake Cole, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of agitated
Adjective
  • For example, the national median home price increased about 2% year-over-year as of August, suggesting that homes are becoming more expensive and seemingly at odds with reduced demand from buyers.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Zimbabwe is among several African nations resisting Washington’s push to replace broad health assistance with country-by-country agreements emphasizing domestic financing and reduced donor dependence.
    — Farai Mutsaka, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of reduced
Verb
  • People, wildlife and domestic animals get valley fever when the soil in these burrows is disturbed, by a dog digging, a kick of the boot, a shovel, construction equipment, wind or wildfire.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Clean Regularly Spiders don’t like to be disturbed, so an unused area of your porch is likely to be attractive real estate.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Adjective
  • Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of ruined
Verb
  • Adams also expects other aspects of professional sports to suffer, predicting coaches and staff members will be just as distracted by the new game.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • My parents were tense and distracted while my siblings were scared.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of distracted

Browse Nearby Words

distress
distressed
distresses
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressed. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of heterodox

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All